So most of us by now have heard the talk show that Clay Travis did for Fox Sports News on IHeartRadio where he was talking about a game that happened the previous Saturday. It went into double overtime and lasted five hours. His "solution" to this problem was to cut the time of half-time down and make it shorter. What was his idea you ask? To not let the band "walk" around the field for a performance.
First things first, it is marching, not walking. If you walked around the field you would get screamed at. So go ahead and try to walk around the field in front of your band director, let me know how it works out. I wonder if he even knows what it is like being a collegiate band member. You dedicate yourself to marching band, which mean practice 4-5 days a week, practice on Saturday mornings before the game, and having almost every minute of your game day scheduled out. This ranges from knowing where you need to be and when you should be there, to what you should be wearing and what you need to be prepared to do. Also, you can be extremely tired or not be feeling okay, but that does not matter. You are still the face of your university, and your job is to bring spirit and joy to those around you, and be a positive influence to the children that stand there and look at you like you are on the top of the world. Being in band in college is not just about marching band; musicians are also encouraged to be a part of the other ensembles on top of classes as well. So with that being said, students in band are not only in marching band, but also in ensembles. All while taking close to a full load of classes, and any extracurricular activities that they have decided to take a part in. Mr. Travis, any day you decide that you would like to walk in a band student's Dinkles or Drillmasters for once, let me know and I am sure that we can arrange something.
But on another note, I am very thankful for all the opportunities that I have been granted because of being in band. Thank you to the directors and teachers that have shaped me into who I am today.
